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ADDRESS CHANGES
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Members, if you have moved, please send your new address to the Secretary so that your address will be correct in the database. This is how you receive your newsletters, county meeting notices, and any other correspondence from this Association. We do not necessarily get the change of address just because you gave it to the post office. You may text or call your new address and/or phone number to 865-740-3162.
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HATCH ACT - DOS AND DON'TS
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2024 NATIONAL CONVENTION ELECTION RESULTS
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President: Don Maston
Vice-President: Patrick Pitts
Secretary/Treasurer: Tommy Turner
Director of Labor Relations: John Adams
Director of Steward Operations: Nicky Phillips
Executive Committeeman, 4-Year Term: Bethany Small
Executive Committeeman, 2-Year Term: Mike Merola
CONGRATULATIONS ALL!
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REGULAR RURAL CARRIERS MAY VOLUNTEER TO
WORK SUNDAYS AND ASSIST ON OTHER RURAL ROUTES
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The USPS and the NRLCA have extended the MOU allowing regular rural carriers to volunteer to work Sundays and/or provide assistance on other rural routes in the office. This MOU has been extended due to the staffing problems that continue to exist at the USPS. Regular rural carriers will be compensated at the overtime rate of pay for the hours worked on Sundays and for the additional hours worked when providing service on routes other than their own. Prior to working volunteer regular rural carriers on Sundays or on other rural routes, management must comply with the scheduling provisions of the National Agreement, to include use of the Sunday/Holiday Parcel Delivery Work List. This MOU was signed by the NRLCA to help our overworked RCAs, and for the many regular carriers who have requested this temporary modification so they are able to assist and help the RCAs. This extension goes from Saturday, August 24, 2024 through Friday, February 21, 2025.
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Mini Mail Survey: August 23-September 6, 2024
Attention Rural Carriers: The USPS has announced that the next Mini Mail Survey (MMS) will be held August 23-September 6, 2024.
Members, you can find MMS resources on the NRLCA website.
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NEW: Updatable 2080/2240 Tracker Tool
Rural carriers can use this 2080/2240 tracker to keep track of their work hours. It can be updated each year by simply updating the date in yellow to the first day of the guarantee year. At the end of this guarantee year, the carrier would put 10/5/2024 in the yellow and the calendar will update itself. Members, you may visit the NRLCA.org website to download the tool.
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NEW RRECS Resources: Route
Resequencing FAQ, Training, and More
MEMBERS: Updated documents are now available under the RRECS Resources tab on the NRLCA.org website concerning Route Resequencing: What to Look for in a Route Adjustment or Realignment.
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New MDD Release: July 1, 2024
MEMBERS: Please visit NRLCA.org to view the documentation for information on the latest MDD release to familiarize yourself with the latest scanner changes.
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MOU Signed on Hiring Rural Carrier Annuitants as Holiday Assistant Rural Carriers (HARCs)
The U.S. Postal Service and the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association have signed an MOU to rehire rural carrier annuitants as holiday assistant rural carriers (HARCs). These individuals will be used to deliver packages up to seven (7) days per week between November 2, 2024, through January 24, 2025.
In accordance with the regulations outlined in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annuities of these HARCs will not be impacted by their work in the rural carrier craft.
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RCA VISION/DENTAL INSURANCE
RCAs if you are interested in vision and dental insurance, please visit nrlca.benefithub.com. Scroll down to and click on "Enroll or Check Rates" and you are able to check your rates before you apply. Should you decide to apply for vision and dental insurance, you will need to register on that website first. You will also need to know the approximate date you joined the NRLCA. This insurance is underwritten by Greater Insurance Services. Their phone number is 800-747-4472.
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NRLCA and USPS Sign MOU Concerning Annual Leave Carryover for Leave Year 2025
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The NRLCA and USPS have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreeing that for leave year 2025, regular work force career employees covered by the USPS-NRLCA Agreement may carry over 520 hours (65 days) of accumulated annual leave from leave year 2024 to leave year 2025. In all other respects, the ELM provisions for payment of accumulated leave are not changed because of this Memorandum. This MOU will expire with the conclusion of the 2025 leave year. Members may visit NRLCA.org website to view the MOU.
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POSTAL SERVICE HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM (PSHBP)
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The Postal Service Reform Act required a separate Postal Service Health Benefits Program and it will go into effect January 1, 2025. It will provide health insurance to eligible postal employees, annuitants, and eligible family members. Everyone will be required to actively select their plan of choice for 2025 during Open Season. This year Open Season is Monday, November 11 through Monday, December 9, 2024.
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RETIREES: There is a special enrollment period going on now through September 30, 2024. If you are retired and you did not enroll in Medicare Part B three months prior to or three months after you turned 65, you may do so now without a late enrollment penalty should you wish to do so. (Normally, the late fee is 10% per year after your 65th birthday.) However, if you sign-up during the special enrollment period, the late fee will be waived. You will be required to select a Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) or a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan (MAPD) to continue prescription drug benefits in 2025.
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You are an EXCEPTION to the Medicare A&B Requirement if:
1) You are currently employed at the USPS and will be age 64 or older on January 1, 2025.
2) You will be retired as of January 1, 2025.
3) You are covered by Indian Health Services or VA Services.
4) You live abroad (other than PR, Guam, VI, American Samoa, or N. Mariana Islands).
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Annuitants already enrolled in Medicare Part B will be required to remain enrolled in Medicare Part B to continue coverage under PSHB.
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Active employees under the age of 64 as of January 1, 2025 will be required to enroll in Medicare Part B after you retire and become eligible for Part A. (Usually at age 65)
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VERIFY-BY-EMAIL MULTIFACTOR AUTHENTICATION
WILL BE RETIRED IN AUGUST 2024
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The NRLCA has been notified that the Postal Service is retiring the option to use the verify-by-email multifactor security method to access LiteBlue in August 2024.
Employees currently using email as a Multifactor Authentication (MFA) on LiteBlue are encouraged to replace this verification method. The Postal Service recommends replacing the email verification method in LiteBlue with Google Authenticator or Okta Verify. Additional verification methods are available and include receiving a one-time code sent by phone call or text.
Each employee currently using email will receive a message at the email address that is currently used for LiteBlue encouraging them to replace the email MFA with a different method and will be provided a link to step-by-step instructions on how to do so. Employees already using one of the other security methods mentioned above will not receive an email message and do not need to take further action.
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2024 tnrlca state convention
The state convention was held from June 22 - June 24, 2024 in Franklin, TN. If you were unable to attend, we hope you get the opportunity to do so next year. (The 2025 convention will be held June 28 - 30, 2025.) There were nine Constitution Changes for the Tennessee Constitution that were passed, and there were ten Resolutions passed that will be sent on to our National Officers.
The 2024-2025 TNRLCA Board:
President - Chris Laginess
Vice-President - Courtney Polattie
Secretary-Treasurer - Judy Berezansky-Hinton
Executive Committeeman (EAST) - Dustin Marshall
Executive Committeeman (WEST) - Angelise Parks-Steward
Executive Committeeman (MIDDLE) - Marcus Antoniak
PAC Chair - Carolyn Smith
Editor - Kim Berry
Insurance Rep. - Judy Webb
Chaplain - Gary Wilder
Historian - Linda Wilder
SAC Board Member - Thomas Keys
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Thank you to all the delegates for taking time out of their busy schedules to conduct our business.
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EMA to Increase 4 Cents Effective June 29, 2024
On June 12, 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the May Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which established the Private Transportation Index at 280.714, an increase from the February 2024 Index of 269.969. Therefore, based on the May 2024 CPI-W release, the Equipment Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for rural carriers will increase 4.0¢ to 98.5¢ per mile. This EMA rate will be effective June 29, 2024 (Pay Period 15-2024).
Rural Carriers
In accordance with the provisions of Article 9, Section 2.J.3 of the USPS/NRLCA National Agreement, effective June 29 (Pay Period 15-2024), the Equipment Maintenance Allowance (EMA) will increase to 98.5¢ per mile, or a minimum of $39.40 per day, whichever is greater.
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First NGDVs Delivered to the Postal Service
The first Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDVs) were delivered to the United States Postal Service by Oshkosh Defense on May 31, 2024. These vehicles are the result of more than a decade of planning and testing, and have been deployed to the Athens, GA, S&DC (Sorting and Delivery Center) to replace the current fleet of Long Life Vehicles (LLVs).
The NGDV’s design was determined in part by the feedback of a group of rural letter carriers from across the country who reviewed, tested, and drove the vehicle during multiple site visits in Oshkosh, WI, in July 2021.
You may have seen the NGDV displayed at our National Convention in 2022 and had the opportunity to inspect the vehicle and its enhanced safety features, increased cargo space, advanced technology, and increased efficiency and comfort for carriers. The production of NGDVs will include both fuel-efficient internal combustion engines and battery-electric varieties in FWD and AWD. Members, watch the NRLCA.org website for more information.
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2024 NRLCA National Convention Room Block is Open!
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Members, visit NRLCA.org for the direct reservation link and group code.
HQ Hotel: Peppermill Resort Spa Casino
2707 South Virginia St., Reno, NV 89502
Reservations phone: 800-282-2444
www.peppermillreno.com
Group Room Rates:
Peppermill Tower: $147/night (single-quad)
Tuscany Tower: $155/night (single-quad)
*Note: Rates may be higher for pre- and post-convention dates
NOTE: Room block opens on May 1 and closes July 16, 2024.
All reservations must be secured by a credit card. At the time of reservation, please be advised that your card will be charged one (1) night’s stay for each room reserved under the reservation. If multiple rooms are reserved by one individual, each room reserved will result in a charge equivalent to one night’s stay. Cancellations must be made at least six (6) days prior to arrival. Please note on your reservation if you require an ADA-accessible room.
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USPS Must Post NLRB Notice After Failing to Provide Information in the Possession of the OIG to NRLCA
On July 5, 2022, the NRLCA filed an unfair labor practice charge against the Postal Service with Region 9 of the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”). The charge alleged that the Postal Service violated the National Labor Relations Act by withholding information that the Union requested in order to process a grievance. The grievance involved a rural letter carrier who was suspended and then removed based upon an OIG investigation and allegations of stealing gift cards. The Postal Service took the position that it had no obligation to provide USPS-OIG investigators’ notes, copies of the gift cards and other information because the USPS-OIG controlled the information and is a separate entity from the Postal Service. The Union took the position that the USPS-OIG is part of the Postal Service and that the information had to be provided.
Initially, the Regional Director of Region 9 agreed with the Postal Service and dismissed the case. However, the Union appealed the decision to the NLRB’s top prosecutor – General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo – who reversed the decision and ordered the Regional Director to issue a complaint against the Postal Service. In April 2024, the day before the case was to go to trial, the Postal Service entered into a settlement agreement which required it to post the notice reprinted below in the Frankfort, Kentucky post office for 60 days. It also required the Postal Service to act in good faith to obtain information in the possession of the USPS-OIG and to provide explicit explanations for any failure to or delay in doing so.
This case is significant because it reminds us that the Postal Service cannot refuse to provide information to the Union simply because that information is in the hands of the USPS-OIG. Members, to see a copy of the notice the USPS is required to post, please visit NRLCA.org.
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Senate introduces 2.4356, companion bill to the protect our letter carriers act
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On May 17, 2024, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced S. 4356, the Senate companion bill to the Protect Our Letter Carriers Act.
On March 13, 2024, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Congressman Greg Landsman (D-OH) introduced the Protect Our Letter Carriers Act. This bipartisan legislation will provide the necessary resources to protect letter carriers and prosecute criminals to the fullest extent of the law. The legislation will appropriate $1.4 billion over fiscal years 2025-2029 to replace arrow keys with safer electronic versions and install high security collection boxes. The legislation also requires U.S. attorneys to appoint an assistant U.S. attorney to prosecute crimes against postal employees, as well as reviews sentencing guidelines for crimes against postal employees.
Violence and crime against postal workers is not confined to urban areas alone; it impacts our rural communities as well. Members, please contact your representative in Congress and ask them to co-sponsor. Also, members may visit NRLCA.org for more information.
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Rural Route Evaluated Dispute Process (RREDP) Documentation Requirements and Updated Forms
The Rural Route Evaluation Dispute Process will be used to address disputes where the assigned carrier has identified potential errors. Local management and the carrier should discuss and work together to submit the necessary documentation needed to resolve the issue.
Please remember that each item being disputed should be on its own dispute form along with the necessary documentation. The dispute and the documentation will be sent to the Manager of Labor Relations at the district level by the Postmaster and to the NRLCA District Representative.
Only clear legible copies should be provided to both parties. Pictures are unacceptable. A hard copy is requested.
Members, visit NRLCA.org to download the RRECS Disputes Documentation Requirements, the updated Rural Route Evaluation Dispute Form, and/or the Rural Route Evaluation Dispute Process (RREDP) MOU.
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SIXTH COLA ADJUSTMENT FOR RURAL CARRIERS
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The January 2024 Consumer Price Index - Urban Wage and Clerical Workers has been released. In accordance with Article 9.1.E, the sixth and final COLA adjustment of the 2021-2024 National Agreement will result in a $353.00 increase for eligible rural carriers. This COLA will become effective March 9, 2024 (PP 2024-07). This figure is based on a 40-hour route evaluation. Larger route evaluations will receive a proportionately equivalent adjustment. The increase should appear in the paychecks dated March 29, 2024.
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​multifactor authentication on liteblue
The USPS has notified all employees that they need to set up Multifactor Authentication (MFA) on LiteBlue. You must have MFA set up to be able to bid on routes and access other functions on LiteBlue. Please do not delay any longer in setting up your MFA. Should you want to bid on an upcoming route that is posted, you will not be able to do so if you have not completed this task. You cannot get a new PIN number in time to bid if you wait until the last minute. Employees who have already set up MFA on LiteBlue can sign into their SSP using the same MFA. Please take a few minutes to get this set up now if you haven't done so!
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Federal Retirement Fairness Act (FRFA)
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"H.R. 5995: the Federal Retirement Fairness Act (FRFA), often referred to as the "buy back" legislation, has been again introduced. This bill would amend Title 5, United States Code, and would provide relief carriers' part-time employment to be counted as creditable service under the Federal Employees' Retirement System. If you served as a relief carrier after December 31, 1988, this act would provide you with the opportunity to buy back that time and credit it toward your retirement years. Please contact your Representative and ask him/her to support this bill. Members, you may obtain a form letter to send to your Congressman by visiting NRLCA.org.
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​What happens if the NRLCA is decertified?
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The NRLCA would no longer be able to represent rural letter carriers.
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The National Agreement will be nullified: Every right and term or condition of employment currently guaranteed by the Agreement must be re-negotiated without any assurance that it will be reinstated. Some of the things at serious risk are:
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Current salary rates and guaranteed salary increases
Twice per year COLA adjustments
EMA rates
Grievance and arbitration provisions
Just cause protections for discipline and termination. (You will be an "At-Will" employee)
No layoff provisions
Seniority rights
Scheduling rights
Protections from subcontracting (CDS)
Health insurance, life insurance and retirement benefits
Work rules
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You will lose your union stewards and representatives.
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The Union has invested millions of dollars in an extensive and effective steward system. With decertification, your District Representatives, Assistant District Representatives, Area Stewards, and Local Stewards will be stripped of their legal authority to help resolve grievances and other workplace conflicts.
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Management will have ALL the power.
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The rights bargained for in collective bargaining with the Postal Service since 1970 will no longer be guaranteed, and without a collective bargaining agreement, Postal Management will have the unilateral right to set wages and working conditions.
There is no guarantee that you will be represented by another union.
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Signing a decertification petition only guarantees an election as to whether the NRLCA will represent you. To replace the NRLCA, another union would have to agree to represent rural carriers, and a majority of rural carriers would have to vote (in a separate election) to establish the new union as the collective bargaining representative.
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RADAR Report Must Be Pulled and Posted Daily
Reminder: Management must pull and post the RADAR Report daily. The requirement is daily, not just during the Mini Mail Survey but every day. If management doesn’t pull and post the report, notify one of our ADRs or our DR.
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Mapping is the MOST important thing you can do to ensure you are properly compensated
Do you have growth on your route? Have you done your updates to your edit book? Are you making sure the managers are complying with the AMS Edit Book Maintenance SWI? (posted on the RRECS Training tab) Are you requiring your managers to, in your presence, log into Delivery Point Manager (DPM), click “Download,” plot missing deliveries, view/clear issues, and submit? After allowing 10-15 minutes for DPM processing, is your supervisor/designee logging into Line of Travel Manager (LTM) in your presence, selecting “Partial Review,” verifying/plotting Traffic Control Points (TCPs), then submitting and certifying each month? Then once DPM and LTM are finalized, your supervisor/designee MUST initial the DPM and LTM portions of the AMS Edit Book Activity Log. Is that all happening?
Mapping is the most important thing you can do to ensure that you are being properly compensated. If your route isn’t mapped correctly, the breadcrumbs will not record. There may be errors in the DPM and LTM, your coverage factor could be affected. Are all the active boxes showing active or are they inactive? You could be losing money by not making sure everything is up to date and correct. This is not the old system where carriers sometime only updated the edit book when they were close to an hour change or at an old count period. Make sure you are staying on top of this and following through. If the edit book, the DMP and LTM are not being updated and your manager will not update the systems, contact your District Representative or Assistant District Representative. **********
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Carriers Working Over the Evaluated Hours on Overburdened 48K Routes
If you are assigned to a 48K (57:00 to 57:36 hours), and your actual hours exceed 48 actual work hours, you may be entitled to auxiliary assistance. Temporary relief is covered in the EL-902-The USPS- NRLCA National Agreement, the M-38, and the F-21. USPS Operations is developing a plan to adjust overburdened routes, but in the meantime, you may be entitled to assistance. If you are exceeding the evaluation on an overburdened route and not receiving assistance, please contact your DR or ADR.
Article 9.2.C.8
8. Overburdened Routes
a. Definition A route is considered overburdened when:
(1) The standard hours for the route are outside of the Table of Evaluated Hours; or
(2) The regular rural carrier who is assigned to the route does not, or is not expected to,
meet the requirement to stay within the annual guarantee for the route.
b. Relief of Overburdened Routes Permanent relief will be arranged as soon as practicable for overburdened routes. Auxiliary assistance may be provided as a temporary means of providing relief for those routes as defined in 8.a.(1). Assistance is provided, equivalent to the lesser of the following:
(1) The regular rural carrier’s actual weekly work hours that are in excess of 48 hours (48K classification); or
(2) The standard hours for the route that are in excess of 57:36
F-21
576.3 Overburdened Route
An overburdened route is authorized temporary auxiliary assistance to provide relief.
M-38
830 TEMPORARY RELIEF (AUXILIARY ASSISTANCE)
831 AUTHORIZATION
On rural routes where the carrier frequently is making late deliveries, or failing to connect with dispatches, or is working excessive weekly hours, auxiliary assistance may be authorized temporarily until permanent relief can be provided. Exhibit 831.I is an example of a memorandum which may be used for authorizing auxiliary assistance and ordering the formulation of a plan for relief of overburdened routes. Note: Immediate relief by use of auxiliary assistance must be provided to a carrier when the evaluation or actual time (whichever is lower) exceeds 57:36. See Part 833.
832 DETERMINING TYPE OF ASSISTANCE.
Auxiliary casing and/ or route assistance may be granted the route. Preference should be given to office assistance.
833 DETERMINING NEED
When determining the need for auxiliary assistance for overburdened routes, both the actual and evaluated hours must be considered. The lesser of the two will be used to arrive at the amount of assistance to be authorized. Auxiliary assistance is provided for the difference between evaluated hours or actual hours (whichever is less) and 57:36.
Examples:
Route 1 is evaluated at 62:45 but the actual hours are 62:36. The difference between 62:36 and 57:36 is five hours: auxiliary assistance may be authorized for that amount.
Route 2 is evaluated at 62:19 but the actual hours are 64:47. In this instance, the evaluated hours must be used in the computation, and the auxiliary assistance to be authorized is five hours (62:19 - 57:36 is 4:43).
833.2 Where either the actual or evaluated hours are below 57:36 per week, no auxiliary assistance is afforded.
Note: No EMA is deducted when auxiliary assistance is given the regular carrier.
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Compensation for Additional Trips
On June 2, 2023, the USPS and NRLCA agreed to modify two pre-arbitration settlements, specifically case #C95R-4C-C 98023318, which involves compensation for rural carriers when required to perform an additional trip to the street due to mail that could not be accommodated on the first trip, either due to the volume of mail or the physical size of the parcels, or both; and case #Q95R-4Q-C 99245966, which involves compensation for rural carriers when required to make deliveries after returning from the standard street duties, such as delivering Priority Mail Express.
In both of these cases, the parties agreed that regular rural carriers and leave replacements (when a leave replacement is compensated based on the evaluation of a regular or auxiliary route served and when actual workhours do not exceed 40 hours per week) will be compensated at two minutes per mile for each mile involved in the additional trip(s) and for actual loading time at the carrier's straight time rate (Article 8.3.A.).
Effective May 6, with the implementation of the Rural Route Evaluated Compensation System (RRECS), the appropriate compensation for additional trips will be three minutes per mile for each mile involved in the additional trip(s). Loading time for an additional trip(s) will no longer be compensated in accordance with these settlements. Any loading time associated with the additional trip(s) must be recorded using the appropriate STARTLOADVEH and ENDLOADVEH activity scans on the Mobile Delivery Device (MDD).
A rural carrier using his/her personal vehicle will continue to receive Equipment Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for each mile over 40 miles per day that the carrier is required to drive to complete the assigned route including the additional trip(s).
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